Flowers, who also is president of the City of Norfolk Retired Employees Association, said the president’s signature ended a long effort to eliminate provisions of federal law that reduced Social Security benefits for police and other retired employees who worked jobs outside of their public service and paid into the national retirement system.
“I know Abigail was a big part of it,” he said in a telephone interview on Monday. “It’s real good for us. A lot of people could use the money.”
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President Joe Biden, from left, poses for a photo with former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., and her children (from left) Catherine, Charlotte, and Claire after signing the Social Security Fairness Act during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Sunday in Washington.
Manuel Balce Ceneta, Associated Press
Biden said the new law will boost retirement benefits for affected public employees by an average of $360 a week and deliver retirees a lump-sum payment to make up for the money they should have received in 2024.
“Today is a victory for the dignity of work and the dignity of workers,” the president said at the televised White House ceremony.
One question is, how much will that victory mean for Spanberger’s quest for the Democratic nomination for governor this year and potential showdown with Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in November? Both are seeking to become the first woman to lead the state in its more than 400-year history.
“I don’t see how it could hurt her,” said Flowers, 69, who retired from the city police department in 2005 after 30 years of service.
After six years in Congress, Spanberger looks for new role in Richmond
Spanberger, who ended her three-term career in Congress last week to run for governor, touted the importance of the new law for retired police officers, firefighters, public school teachers, federal employees and even rural mail carriers.
“Every Virginian who paid into Social Security should be able to count on their full earned benefits to support them in retirement,” she said in a release by her campaign, now that she no longer has a congressional office. “This firm belief — and the stories of Virginians long impacted by this injustice — strengthened my resolve to bring Republicans and Democrats together on Capitol Hill, force a long-overdue vote on the U.S. House floor, and finally get this done.”
More than 50,000 Virginians are expected to benefit from the repeal of the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset, which Congress adopted in 1983 to prevent retired public employees or widowed spouses from collecting benefits both from Social Security and their public pensions. In Virginia, the new law is expected to most benefit retired police, firefighters and federal employees, who represent significant blocs of voters in an off-year statewide election.
“It’s a tangible success with groups that she needs to turn out if she’s going to win,” said Bob Holsworth, a veteran Richmond political scientist and observer of Virginia politics.
But while support from those groups should help Spanberger’s campaign, Holsworth said she still will have to take detailed stands on state issues she has not directly addressed before, such as the state’s right to work law, which protects employees represented by unions from having to pay union dues. Earle-Sears, who supports the state’s right-to-work law, has pressured Spanberger to take a clear stand on the issue.
“This is a notable achievement for her that should serve her well in the campaign,” Holsworth said. “But, in and of itself, it won’t drive the election.”
She co-sponsored the bill with Rep. Garret Graves, R-La., who stepped down from Congress this year after losing his seat in political redistricting. Graves was part of a Louisiana delegation, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., that strongly supported repealing the two provisions because of the effect on Social Security benefits for their constituents.
RVA 100: 100 people, places, things that you should know about Richmond
The RVA 100 are the people, places, things that make Richmond so special. The Times-Dispatch will be highlighting 100 quintessential Richmond icons starting Aug. 1 and running throughout the year.
Chimborazo Park is laden with city history and lore while also letting park-goers experience all of Richmond.
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As a child, when the Legendary Santa called you by name, that memory was priceless.
Starting today, we’re launching our RVA 100 series, which highlights the people, places and objects that define the Richmond region. For 100 days, we’ll showcase a different quintessential Richmond icon. First up: Agecroft Hall.
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This story is part of RVA100, our series that highlights the people, places and objects that define the Richmond region. We’re exploring hidden histories and colorful backstories.
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This story is part of RVA100, our series that highlights the people, places and objects that define the Richmond region. We’re exploring hidden histories and colorful backstories.
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This story is part of RVA100, our series that highlights the people, places and objects that define the Richmond region. We’re exploring hidden histories and colorful backstories.
The Blues Armory, both as a building and cultural institution, awaits a new chapter in its long and varied history. Built in 1910 for the Richmond Light Infantry Blues, the historic building is part of an impending plan for redeveloping the center of downtown Richmond.
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Bill “Bojangles” Robinson is dancing in the aluminum statue that stands in Jackson Ward, the majority Black neighborhood where he grew up in racially segregated Richmond. But Robinson, a trailblazer as a Black entertainer in early 20th-Century America, didn’t forget his home town or the challenges facing Black students there.
That’s why the Astoria Beneficial Club led the effort to honor him with the statue dedicated on June 30, 1973, almost a quarter-century after his death in 1949.
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This story is part of RVA100, our series that highlights the people, places and objects that define the Richmond region. We’re exploring hidden histories and colorful backstories.
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This story is part of RVA100, our series that highlights the people, places and objects that define the Richmond region. We’re exploring hidden histories and colorful backstories.
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This story is part of RVA100, our series that highlights the people, places and objects that define the Richmond region. We’re exploring hidden histories and colorful backstories.
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One of Richmond’s most colorful personalities, Donnie Corker was a legend in Richmond’s counterculture.
This story is part of RVA100, our series that highlights the people, places and objects that define the Richmond region. We’re exploring hidden histories and colorful backstories.
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Founded by free and enslaved Black people in 1857, Ebenezer Baptist Church — originally and briefly Third African Church — served as a beacon …
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There is nothing quite as dark and mysterious as the lore that surrounds famed poet and storyteller, Edgar Allan Poe.
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Ellen Glasgow had always wanted to be an author.
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Born free in 1866 to a formerly enslaved couple in Cumberland County, Fannie Criss Payne was one of the first Black fashion designers in the country.
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Vince Gilligan, 57, creator of the AMC hit show ‘Breaking Bad,’ has Richmond roots.
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Gwar is very loud, a Times-Dispatch article from July 17, 1986 succintly explained.
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Henry “Box” Brown pulled off one of the great escapes from slavery when he shipped himself in a box to gain freedom.
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Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church has stood as a place of faith and fellowship for more than 150 years in Richmond.
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This story is part of RVA100, our series that highlights the people, places and objects that define the Richmond region. We’re exploring hidden histories and colorful backstories.
When in search of a fun day of shopping, dining and entertainment, Carytown is the hub for indie boutiques, flavorful food spots and more to s…
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Nestled alongside the rapids of the James River, Hollywood Cemetery is host to the graves of many noteworthy Virginians.
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Libby Hill Park is one of three original parks in Richmond, located in Church Hill. The seven-acre park was designed by city engineer Wilfred …
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On the 52-mile-long Virginia Capital Trail, more than 1 million annual visitors tour 400-plus years of history from Richmond to Jamestown.
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This story is part of RVA100, our series that highlights the people, places and objects that define the Richmond region. We’re exploring hidden histories and colorful backstories.
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Parker Field was old and quickly deteriorating. Richmond-area baseball fans noticed. So did the Atlanta Braves, who owned the Triple-A team th…
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Professional baseball was played for generations in Richmond before the Flying Squirrels soared into town for the 2010 season. Nothing before …
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Established in 1993, the Richmond Kickers are the longest continuously run professional soccer club in the country and a cornerstone of RVA’s …
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As the largest performing arts organization in central Virginia, the Richmond Symphony is a harmonious hub that provides a musical treat to vi…
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Beginning as 600 acres of land inherited by U.S. Army Gen. Winfield Scott in 1818, the historic district that became known as Scott’s Addition…
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For those who want to understand the complex history of Richmond, Jackson Ward is ground zero.
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Before racking up nine All-Star selections, a Rookie of the Year award, three Cy Youngs, two World Series rings, two ERA titles and an MVP, Ju…
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Born July 15, 1864, in Richmond, Maggie Lena Walker rose to prominence as a businesswoman and community leader. The first African American wom…
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The clock, more than four feet tall, was installed in the 1920s and stayed there more than 60 years.
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There’s just one monument left on the famed Monument Avenue, the bronze statue of local tennis legend Arthur Ashe.
Richmond’s Museum District is known for its historic charm and picturesque streets lined with well-preserved early 20th-century homes and cozy…
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Pat Benatar, the iconic 1980s singer known for hits such as “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” first began her musical career in the River City.
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Petersburg legend Moses Malone is famous for being the first player to successfully make the jump straight from high school to professional ba…
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Tucked away in downtown Richmond, the Pipeline Trail is possibly one of the city’s best-kept secrets.
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Pocahontas has been elevated to a household name by colonial legends and a more recent Disney adaptation that tells her story.
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Before Pabst Blue Ribbon became the unofficial “People’s Beer of Richmond,” there was Krueger’s Finest.
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With most of its structure built in the early 1880s, Pump House has ceased to host the elaborate dance parties in its ballroom that the granit…
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He played baseball in the Negro Leagues beginning in 1933 and was one of countless Black players denied the chance to play in the major leagues.
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Richmond Ballet was founded in 1957 by a group of ambitious student dancers.
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The Richmond Dairy Co. building is a byproduct of the advancing technology in the dairy business. The building, which is a Tudor Revival, adve…
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The Richmond Times-Dispatch traces its beginnings to 1850 with the founding of the Richmond Dispatch by James A. Cowardin. In 1886, Major Lewi…
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Among the reminders that Richmond is nearly 300 years old: those cobblestone and Belgian block streets that can wreak havoc on the underside o…
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The Richmond Union Passenger Railway was the world’s first electric railway, dating from 1888 to 1949.
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Since its inception in 1979, the Richmond area’s top high school football honor of All-Metro Player of the Year has just two repeat winners — …
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A Richmond icon, Sally Bell’s Kitchen turns 100 years old this year.
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It may not be a physical icon for much longer since local developer Hourigan Group has said it plans to raze the Southern States silos and bui…
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One of music’s greatest pioneers of the 20th century, Sister Rosetta Tharpe bridged the gap between gospel and secular music by incorporating …
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Unveiled in 2021 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, the Emancipation and Freedom M…
Virginia’s Executive Mansion, home to the state’s governors since 1813, has entertained many distinguished visitors — from current and future …
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CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story had the incorrect address for the Egyptian Building. This version has been corrected.
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At Richmond, Virginia’s backbone waterway passes its final falls and rapids to begin its more stately path to the Chesapeake Bay. You can spot…
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No, that’s not a flying saucer that landed just west of Willow Lawn shopping center. It’s the Markel Building, commissioned in 1962 by the spe…
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Head south from downtown Richmond on Interstate 95 and, yes, that big concrete office building does look like a pack of cigarettes with a few …
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With stacked hot pastrami, spicy brown mustard, a grilled split knockwurst and melted, gooey Swiss cheese all packed between two toasted, butt…
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Tredegar Iron Works was established in 1837 as an iron forge and rolling mill located along the Kanawha Canal and James River.
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Richmond is old. And few landmarks speak to the city’s storied history like the Virginia Capitol building.
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For those new to Richmond, the Virginia War Memorial Carillon rises like a distant beacon above its leafy Byrd Park neighborhood.
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The Triple Crossing is one of the country’s most distinctive railroad attractions, as three railroad lines cross at different levels at the sa…
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Virginia Commonwealth University’s two campuses have grown tremendously through the years, changing the face of downtown. VCU is credited for …
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For nearly 50 years, the Richmond Coliseum stood as the city’s premier venue for sports, concerts and political rallies.
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One of Richmond’s most popular and picturesque spots is Maymont, a Victorian estate set on 100 rolling acres above the James River. Maymont se…
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Train service at Richmond’s Broad Street Station peaked during World War II, when a record 33,324 passengers came and went in one day in 1943.
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Richmond’s more than 100 murals range from thought-provoking to statement-making to just plain odd.
The 26-story building that houses the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond has towered over the James River and dominated the city’s skyline since 1978.
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The historic Jefferson Hotel has welcomed thousands of visitors in its nearly 130 years of operations, including the likes of U.S. presidents,…
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For nearly eight decades, the site of Richmond Raceway has been home to many kinds of horsepower.
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On the south bank of the James River off Riverside Drive and across from Williams Island, Pony Pasture is among the most popular spots in the …
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A star football player from Richmond’s Maggie L. Walker High School and Baltimore’s Morgan State University, Willie Lanier is famously the fir…
